Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
In her debut novel, Giles’ lyrical prose brings to life a waterlogged and forgotten corner of medieval England where the ever-present mere threatens to claim lives and incite madness, where the tenderness of love, friendship, and the renewal of life cling on to existence wherever they can.
Centred around a convent and the nuns and lay people living there, Giles weaves a chilling tale in which an unsettling and sinister presence lures the reader in, unable to escape until the truth is revealed. The convent faces a crisis: risk a descent into chaos with the hope that salvation will come after, or preserve the status quo and risk death. Female power and female relationships are explored, often subverting the ideas traditionally held about medieval nuns; the novel examines what happens when women turn on each other versus when they unite in a setting not often utilised for such a theme.
Giles’ crisp details of the natural world and the visceral realities of medieval life evoke the brutal and oppressive setting of the marshes in winter, a reminder that perhaps humans aren’t in control despite a fervent belief in God.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I hereby crown Mere Gay Nun Book of the Year. [some spoilers, I guess?] That sounds sarcastic and mean, but hey—we had Lauren Groff's Matrix (2021), now we've got this, this is starting to look like a subgenre. What's interesting about Mere, which otherwise has a fairly standard tussle for convent leadership at the centre of its plot, is that it takes the supernatural, and the tension between pagan worship and an imperfectly Christianised populace, seriously. It's obvious from early on that there's something inexplicable about the behaviour of people who get lost in the marsh that surrounds this East Anglian convent, something that isn't attributable to simple disorientation or the aftereffects of exposure. Those who don't die return changed, apparently able to perceive far more of the natural world around them, and able to pass that perception on to anyone who physically touches them. If Mary Stewart's Merlin novels count as fantasy—and she won the Mythopoeic Award for two of them—this certainly does too. For the most part the medieval setting is evoked effectively. There's a sensory and sensual groundedness that the best fiction of this kind has (I'm thinking of Nicola Griffith's Hild, or Sylvia Townsend Warner's The Corner That Held Them, or Stewart's Merlin novels again, or Mantel's Wolf Hall) that Mere doesn't quite have, although there are definitely extraordinarily evocative moments: the scene of the whippings administered to errant sisters on Christmas Eve, for example. The lesbian nuns feel more right than Groff's, though; it's not just about sex but also about emotional connection and intensity. Well worth picking up.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Probably will end up rounding this up to a 4
Nuns are having their moment and I am HERE FOR IT. I’ll read a thousand books about nuns. This was perfect, beautifully written and filled with constant suspense and plot twists. This is historical fiction as I love to read it - immaculately researched, with characters that feel alive and who I care about, and with just a touch of mysticism. Oh and also queer elements. I adore!
Nuns are having their moment and I am HERE FOR IT. I’ll read a thousand books about nuns. This was perfect, beautifully written and filled with constant suspense and plot twists. This is historical fiction as I love to read it - immaculately researched, with characters that feel alive and who I care about, and with just a touch of mysticism. Oh and also queer elements. I adore!
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Publication date: 02/04/2025
Mere is an accomplished atmospheric debut novel by Danielle Giles. With lyrical writing, she imbues a sense of creeping foreboding and entrapment transporting the reader to an isolated convent surrounded by marshlands and ice-cold water and less than 200 souls. The novel explores themes of faith, superstition, manipulation, sexuality and politics, narrated in lyrical prose, revealing a unique new voice in English literature. Giles has innate talent in blending historical fiction and folklore elements, creating a compelling narrative with superb imagery that makes you feel the dampness of the mere and looming presence of an ancient power. “I feel no evil in it. No good either. It is vast and old and slow.”
Giles excels at character development, with each character having their own distinctive voice - a literary accomplishment. Abbess Sigeburg is a stoic, controlling woman who will "strangle you with scripture and punishment and insist that you thank her." Wulfrun, a mysterious woman who arrives at the convent under difficult circumstances, her past shadowed by pain and betrayal. Hilda, the four-decade-old infirmarian, is deeply absorbed in the convent’s life carrying for the ill but still keeps a sharp, observant mind and tongue. I could go on and on with the list of well-written characters, but as previously said, Giles' characterisation is superb. Her prose is rich and immersive, balancing historical detail with an almost fairy-tale quality.
Mere is a story about women navigating the confines of a convent at the borders under the looming presence of the mere. Despite the convent’s strict religious structure, older, darker beliefs simmer beneath the surface. The presence of the mere, its mythology, and the fear it instils create a sense of unease. The whispers of curses, omens, and unnatural forces blur the lines between folklore and reality playing an essential part in the story. Early, on the way of the abbess' return from Gipeswick with a small company of travelers and food rations for the winter, a kid is lost near the mere, and the sisters are quick to assign supernatural blame: "The other sisters say that a devil has woken in the marsh, taken the boy for his own." setting ablaze a series of events contributing to the mass hysteria soon to be unleashed.
Giles’ prose is vivid and immersive, seamlessly weaving folklore into Christian tradition. “I know better than to tell him otherwise, though from what I have seen the water-elf disease pales the nails and dampens the eyes, none of which afflicts Oswy. And so I gather together the needed herbs, mixing them with ale and holy water and singing over them a charm.” The dialogue is sharp, the characterisation layered and the themes deeply resonant. While some readers may find the pacing slow, it serves the purpose of creating tension and danger. The novel explores the power dynamics between the sisters—with a caveat. Giles also questions how faith is weaponised, how suffering is framed as divine will, and how people in power use faith to manipulate. The convent’s hierarchy is a constant source of tension, with alliances and rivalries shaping the fate of the sisters. ”She is a little serpent who thinks I do not mark her poison.”
The novel is also unflinching in its portrayal of sexual desire - and some Christians may find it blasphemous even. The relationship between Hilda and Wulfrun is charged, sensual, and depicted with powerful language. "When I slide my face between her thighs and taste her sour-sweet cunt, I feel as if I would not care if they heard us all the way in Gipeswic." Giles does not shy away from rawness, and these moments of intimacy stand in stark contrast to the rigid, punishing atmosphere of the convent. Toward the end, secrets unravel and long-held resentments come to a final climax igniting a fiery rebellion. The final part is brutal, gripping and utterly satisfying, if eerie and subtle. It will require a moment of reflection to grasp the full meaning of this incredible novel.
Mere is a stunning, evocative novel that lingers long after the final page. It is a novel of power, faith, and manipulation told with exquisite prose and an unflinching eye for historical and emotional truth. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate historical fiction blended with folklore and queer representation.
Disclaimer: Thank you, Pan MacMillan and Danielle Giles for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
"I lift no weapon, but kill more than the bravest warrior.
I live on women’s tongues and in men’s minds. I am a spilt pot, a razed city.
I am light as air, heavy as stone. No leechbook has cures for me, nor heroes swords against me."
Mere is an accomplished atmospheric debut novel by Danielle Giles. With lyrical writing, she imbues a sense of creeping foreboding and entrapment transporting the reader to an isolated convent surrounded by marshlands and ice-cold water and less than 200 souls. The novel explores themes of faith, superstition, manipulation, sexuality and politics, narrated in lyrical prose, revealing a unique new voice in English literature. Giles has innate talent in blending historical fiction and folklore elements, creating a compelling narrative with superb imagery that makes you feel the dampness of the mere and looming presence of an ancient power. “I feel no evil in it. No good either. It is vast and old and slow.”
Giles excels at character development, with each character having their own distinctive voice - a literary accomplishment. Abbess Sigeburg is a stoic, controlling woman who will "strangle you with scripture and punishment and insist that you thank her." Wulfrun, a mysterious woman who arrives at the convent under difficult circumstances, her past shadowed by pain and betrayal. Hilda, the four-decade-old infirmarian, is deeply absorbed in the convent’s life carrying for the ill but still keeps a sharp, observant mind and tongue. I could go on and on with the list of well-written characters, but as previously said, Giles' characterisation is superb. Her prose is rich and immersive, balancing historical detail with an almost fairy-tale quality.
Mere is a story about women navigating the confines of a convent at the borders under the looming presence of the mere. Despite the convent’s strict religious structure, older, darker beliefs simmer beneath the surface. The presence of the mere, its mythology, and the fear it instils create a sense of unease. The whispers of curses, omens, and unnatural forces blur the lines between folklore and reality playing an essential part in the story. Early, on the way of the abbess' return from Gipeswick with a small company of travelers and food rations for the winter, a kid is lost near the mere, and the sisters are quick to assign supernatural blame: "The other sisters say that a devil has woken in the marsh, taken the boy for his own." setting ablaze a series of events contributing to the mass hysteria soon to be unleashed.
Giles’ prose is vivid and immersive, seamlessly weaving folklore into Christian tradition. “I know better than to tell him otherwise, though from what I have seen the water-elf disease pales the nails and dampens the eyes, none of which afflicts Oswy. And so I gather together the needed herbs, mixing them with ale and holy water and singing over them a charm.” The dialogue is sharp, the characterisation layered and the themes deeply resonant. While some readers may find the pacing slow, it serves the purpose of creating tension and danger. The novel explores the power dynamics between the sisters—with a caveat. Giles also questions how faith is weaponised, how suffering is framed as divine will, and how people in power use faith to manipulate. The convent’s hierarchy is a constant source of tension, with alliances and rivalries shaping the fate of the sisters. ”She is a little serpent who thinks I do not mark her poison.”
The novel is also unflinching in its portrayal of sexual desire - and some Christians may find it blasphemous even. The relationship between Hilda and Wulfrun is charged, sensual, and depicted with powerful language. "When I slide my face between her thighs and taste her sour-sweet cunt, I feel as if I would not care if they heard us all the way in Gipeswic." Giles does not shy away from rawness, and these moments of intimacy stand in stark contrast to the rigid, punishing atmosphere of the convent. Toward the end, secrets unravel and long-held resentments come to a final climax igniting a fiery rebellion. The final part is brutal, gripping and utterly satisfying, if eerie and subtle. It will require a moment of reflection to grasp the full meaning of this incredible novel.
Mere is a stunning, evocative novel that lingers long after the final page. It is a novel of power, faith, and manipulation told with exquisite prose and an unflinching eye for historical and emotional truth. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate historical fiction blended with folklore and queer representation.
Disclaimer: Thank you, Pan MacMillan and Danielle Giles for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Mere follows a failing convent in the fens in Norfolk 990. When a new sister arrives sinister twists begin as Hilda and the other women try to save their convent.
This is my first time reading a historical fiction set so far back. I love shows such as The Last Kingdom so was very excited to read Mere by Danielle Giles. I’ll have to admit, at times I was a little confused. I think this is mainly due to the style of writing which is out of my normal genre and comfort zone. That being said, I highly enjoyed Mere and would definitely read more from Giles again.
This is my first time reading a historical fiction set so far back. I love shows such as The Last Kingdom so was very excited to read Mere by Danielle Giles. I’ll have to admit, at times I was a little confused. I think this is mainly due to the style of writing which is out of my normal genre and comfort zone. That being said, I highly enjoyed Mere and would definitely read more from Giles again.